Dearest northerners, would you so kindly humor me for a few minutes? It doesn't snow very often or very much here in Oklahoma, but when it does, it's magical. The biggest, fluffiest, prettiest flakes fell from a slate-colored sky and it was impossible to concentrate on anything that Wednesday morning (despite the teasing from certain individuals, cough cough).

It fell. I stood there at the window, curtains parted, and watched as it fell in big, soft, powdery flakes. The snow drifted lazily down to the earth and blanketed the grass and trees and bushes. It was beautiful. There's something magical about the first snow, exciting and cozy and happy all rolled into one. I like waking up to an enchanted world the next morning, seeing the world transformed from drab greys and browns to sparkling white.












It's almost a sacred event, being the first to make footprints in that stunning, smooth, untouched layer in a quiet, muffled world. Sometimes I feel guilty about ruining it, but feeling the satisfying crunch-crunch underfoot, breath swirling about my head like a wispy cloud...it's worth it. But still, I always retrace my steps exactly, so the rest of the snow is still left pure.

It's all melted now, just a few remnants laying in shady patches. But oh, it was so beautiful while it lasted.



Have you had your first snow yet?

On Christmas Eve, after the dishes had been washed and put away, the presents wrapped, the fire reduced to embers, we slipped out into the night in a cloud of perfume and fancy clothing. Later, as we stood in a darkened sanctuary at midnight, singing carols by candlelight, I remembered just how much I loved this time of year. I stood there in a silent reverie, soaking in the moment, imprinting it on my mind. And when the service ended, I tucked the memory away, to be opened and unfolded in the future like a comforting quilt.





Christmas was wonderful. It was shrouded in a heart-warming cloak of family, friends and food -- lots of it. The day went as quickly as it came, though. I'm always a bit sad when all the weeks of anticipation are suddenly ended in twenty four short hours. But amidst the piles of wrapping strewn about the living room (all those beautifully wrapped packages laying there in a heap! so sad.), the second and third and fourth helpings of food, the kind of laughter that makes your sides ache, memories were made. And in the end, that's all that really matters.




How was your Christmas, lovelies?

I built a fort today. With sheets, pillows, blankets, and binder clips to hold everything together. It's been years since I've created a little lair for myself, but I like the idea of having a tiny, cozy space away from everything to read, write, and dream in. And now I'm curled up in my nest, relaxing at the end of a busy, productive day.







Yesterday we finally got our Christmas tree. We're always a bit late with these kind of things -- December ninth is actually fairly early for us. We used to live right next to a Christmas tree farm and one of my favorite traditions every year was piling in the truck for the two minute drive to hunt and search for the perfect tree. And afterwards we'd warm up with hot cocoa in the little red house and crunch on peppermint candy canes.






We live in the city now and Home Depot is just that much more convenient and cheaper and closer...but there's something so lovely about going outside in the cold to pick and chop down the tree yourself.

What's your Christmas tree tradition?